Pneumatically driven finish nail for securing a planar member to a metal sheet support

ABSTRACT

A wall construction using metal studs upon which wallboard is adhered and wood trim can be applied with a barbed finish nail that has a plurality of barbs along its shank that are flexible to retract axially along the shank as the nail is driven, and expand to catch material and hold the nail in place, wherein the nail further has a low profile head that reduces the amount of finish work required to the applied wood trim.

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/199,474,filed on Feb. 22, 1994, now abandoned.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the application of wood trim inresidential and commercial building construction and particularly to abarbed nail for joining the wood trim to associated wallboard and metalstuds.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In residential as well as commercial construction there is a great dealof what is termed finish carpentry. Skilled labor is required to performthis type of work and it is very time consuming and therefore veryexpensive. In view of this, every effort is made to cut corners and toreduce the cost of finish work.

One particular type of finish work that requires a substantial amount oflabor and material expense concerns the application of finish carpentry,for example wood trim. The various trim members used in finishing theinterior of a building include the casings around doors and windows,baseboard, crown molding, wainscoting, and chair rails. The wood trimserves an aesthetic purpose as well as a functional purpose. It providesa finished look to a room; and it also seals the gaps between the doors,windows, or floors and the adjacent wall.

In residential construction, wood trim is attached to the associatedwallboard and wood studs. Wood studs are generally used to form thesupport base for the wallboard. The use of wood studs allows the woodtrim to be quickly and efficiently attached to the wallboard and woodstud by use of a power or pneumatic gun. One disadvantage of using thewood stud support is that in today's construction market an equal lengthwood stud can cost twice the amount of the metal stud. Anotherdisadvantage of using wood studs is the environmental concern that acontinuing lumber demand will promote the deforestation of the country.In addition, wood members are subject to termite infestation whichrequires chemical treatment of the wood or the surrounding soil.Therefore, there is an economical as well as an environmental incentiveto use metal studs in place of wood studs.

Currently, in most commercial construction, metal studs are used becauseof their inherent strength and non-combustible qualities. The wood trimis attached to the wallboard and a metal stud with screws. Although theapplication of the wallboard to the metal stud with screws is efficient,the application of wood trim is time consuming. One method of applyingthe wood trim requires a hole to be first driven through the wood trim,followed by the insertion of a finish head screw through the wood trim,wallboard and metal stud using an electric screw gun, requiring time andexpense. The end result is a wood trim having large and rough screwholes which later require an application of wood filler and sanding fora finished job. Another method used to apply wood trim requires gluingthe trim to the predetermined location and then shooting smooth shanknails into the wood trim, wallboard, and metal stud with a pneumaticgun. This method is a two-step process requiring expensive labor time. Athird method requires shooting a nail into the three layers at a 45°angle. This method does not provide the holding power preferred as inthe previous methods. To benefit from the advantages of metal studs, itis necessary to minimize the labor expenditure of applying the finishingtouches such as wood trim.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses the aforementioned problems by providinga method that significantly reduces labor time and cost. In addition,the invention provides a method to reduce material cost by using metalstuds rather than the more costly wood studs. Finally, the inventionprovides a means to attach the wood trim to the wallboard and metal studto securely hold the members in place, wherein minimal finishing andrepair is required to the applied wood trim.

The invention is a method to attach wood trim to the base wallboard andmetal stud with a finish nail having a plurality of barbs along itsshank. The finish nail has the capability of driving into the threelayers of wood trim, wallboard and the metal stud by means of a power orpneumatic finish nail gun in approximately one-tenth the current labortime. The barbed finish nail provides a sufficient holding strength sothat the nail is not pulled back out of the metal channel. The barbedfinish nail further results in a final appearance that requires minimaltouch up repair.

Other objects, advantages and applications of the present invention willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art when the followingdescription of the best mode contemplated for practicing the inventionis read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The description herein makes reference to the accompanying drawingswherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout theseveral views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating the prior art showing screws driventhrough wood trim, wallboard, and a metal stud;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a typical metal stud wall assemblyutilizing the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3--3 of FIG. 2 showing thebarbed finish nail; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the barbed finish nail taken along lines4--4 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 illustrates the current method of attaching wood trim 10 ontowallboard 12 and a metal stud 14. Generally, wall construction compriseslaterally spacing metal C-shaped studs 14 which have upper and lowerends retained in rigid channel shaped upper and lower tracks (notshown). These tracks may be formed of metal and removably mounted on theceiling and floor with the open sides of the channel tracks inconfronting relationship to receive the respective ends of the metalstuds 14. The metal studs 14 are cut to appropriate length andmanipulated into the desired position extending between the ceiling andthe floor to form a frame. A wallboard panel 12 is positioned againstthe framing and adjusted to cause the panel edges to fall in approximatecenters of the vertical studs 14. The wallboard panel 12 is thenmechanically secured to the upper ceiling and lower floor tracks andvertical studs 14 with suitable Teflon® coated drywall screws 16. Whenusing sheet metal studs 14, the procedure of securing the wallboard 12is accomplished usually with an electric powered screw driver andself-drilling, self-tapping screws. Wood trim 10 can then be attached ina time-consuming process of first driving a hole through the wood trimand then securing the wood trim 10 to wallboard 12 and metal stud 14.The screw 18 causes an unsightly gouge 20 that requires additionaltime-consuming filling and sanding.

In residential construction, wood framing generally consisting of 2"×4"wood members (not shown) replace the metal studs 14. Wood studs allowthe carpenter to shoot nails with a pneumatic gun when attaching thewood trim onto the wallboard and the wood studs. The method of attachingthe three layers by means of nails using a nail gun is highly efficientand minimizes labor costs. But in order to save material cost, asuitable method and means to apply wood trim and wallboard to a frame ofmetal studs is necessary.

FIGS. 2-4 disclose a means to apply wood trim 10 and wallboard 12 to ametal stud 14. A wallboard panel 12 is generally made of a high gypsummaterial. The wallboard 12 has a layer of paper 22 applied to both facesto provide a painting surface. The wallboard 12 is positioned againstthe metal stud 14 framing and adjusted so that the panel edges fall onthe vertical studs 14. The panel 12 is then secured to the upper andlower track (not shown) and vertical studs 14 with suitable Teflon®coated drywall screws 16. This procedure can be accomplished with anelectric powered screw driver using self-drilling, self-tapping screws.The wood trim 10 is aligned at the predetermined location after thenecessary cutting and fitting has been completed. A barbed finish nail24 is driven through the wood trim 10, wallboard 12 and metal stud 14with a pneumatic finish nail gun. This method to apply the wood trimprovides a securely held trim that can be applied in a fraction of thetime required by the prior art. In addition, the resultant hole 26 inthe wood trim 10 is significantly smaller than the gouge 20 left byfinish head screws 18 used in the prior art. The labor to fill and sandhole 26 is proportionally reduced to the labor required in the priorart.

Nail 24 generally has the same dimensions and sizes as existing finishnails, but is distinguished from the current finish nail in that thenail 24 has a plurality of flexible barbs 28 running along the shank 30.Existing finish nails are not adequate to secure a material to metalbecause the finish nails are of such a proportion having a small headand a smooth shank, that the shank is easily moved out of the metalchannel to cause dislocation of the wood trim 10 and wallboard 12 fromthe metal channel 14. On the other hand, it is advantageous to use anail 24 of the same dimensions and size of a finish nail, because thenails can fit into existing pneumatic nail guns; and the head of afinish nail 24 is such that, when shot into the material, the head issmall enough not to form a large gouge 20 that needs extensiveresurfacing and sanding.

Nail 24 may be made with standard metallic material such as hardenedaluminum or galvanized steel. Referring to FIG. 3, the nail may have alow profile rectangular, square or round flat-topped head 32. Nail 24has a solid, continuous, one piece shank 30 extending from the head 32and having a cross-sectional area smaller than the cross-sectional areaof the head 32. The shank 30 may have a circular cross-sectional area,but the preferred nail 24 has a flat sided shank 30, resulting in asquare or rectangular cross-section, as shown in FIG. 4. A tip 34 islocated at a distal end from the head 32 and forms a sharp point forpiercing the solid material. Barbs 28 are located preferably parallel toeach other along opposing sides of the shank 30. The barbs may also bestaggered along the opposing sides of shank 30, or located along oneside of shank 30. In the preferred embodiment, the barbs 28 are locatedapproximately three-fourths of the way up the shank 30 from tip 34. Itis particularly important to have barbs 28 near the tip 34 to anchoragainst the metal stud 14. The barbs 28 have flexible pointed surfacesthat retract toward the shank 30 in the direction of the head 32 tocreate an essentially smooth surface 43, axially along the shank 30 asthe nail 24 is penetrating the solid material of the wood trim 10,wallboard 12 and stud 14. The smooth surface 43 allows the nail topenetrate the wood trim 10 through the hole formed by tip 34 withoutdamage to the wood material. The barbs 28 are resilient enough to expandoutwardly after the barbs 28 have been driven through the metal stud 14and catch against the inner surface 36 of the metal stud 14 so that thenail 24 cannot be easily withdrawn from the stud 14.

The preferred means to form barbs 28 is to cut a smooth shank finishnail angularly along shaft 30. As seen in FIG. 3, the flexible pointedsurfaces of the barbs 38 have outer 36 and inner 38 slanted portionsthat join to form the barb tips 42. The barb tips 42 may be eitherrounded (FIG. 4), straight, pointed or other shapes. Each outer andinner slanted portions 36, 38 are separated from another slanted portion36, 38 along the axial length of the shank 30 by a straight surfaceportion 44. Straight surface portion 44 should have a length slightlygreater than the thickness of the sheet material for metal stud 14, sothat stud 14 is disposed along straight surface portion 44 betweenadjacent barbs 28, but does not allow oscillation of the nail 24.

As nail 24 is driven into the solid layers, the barbs 28 flex toward thestraight surface portion 44 of the shank 30 so that inner slantedportion 38 lays approximately adjacent to straight surface portion 44.Barbs 28 that extend beyond metal stud 14 expand so that a pair ofparallel barb tips 42 abut inner surface 36 of the metal stud 14. For aparticular application, a nail 24 should be used having a length greaterthan the thickness of the three solid materials so that at least onepair of parallel barbs 28 extend beyond the metal sheet material.

This combination of a new method for installing wood trim ontoconstruction wallboard with the use of a barbed finish nail 24 providesa finished product that is one tenth of the labor cost and one-half ofcurrent material cost. In addition, the low profile head 32 of thebarbed finish nail 24 requires less finishing work of patching andsanding the wood trim 10 once applied.

While the invention has been described in connection with what ispresently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment,it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to thedisclosed embodiments but, on the contrary, is intended to cover variousmodifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit andscope of the appended claims, which scope is to be accorded the broadestinterpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalentstructures as is permitted under the law.

What is claimed is:
 1. A pneumatically driven finish nail, a planarfinish member and metal sheet support combination in which the finishnail secures the planar member to a planar portion of the metal sheetsupport, wherein said planar portion of said metal sheet support has apredetermined thickness, the combination comprising:the finish nailincluding a solid, one piece single shank with a small low profile headsecured to one end of said shank and said shank having an axial lengthextending perpendicularly and longitudinally from said head andterminating at a pointed end opposite said head; said shank having aplurality of flexible barbs extending angularly from said shank, thebarbs spaced longitudinally on the shank and having a smooth surfaceportion of said shank disposed therebetween, said smooth surface portionof said shank disposed between two adjacent longitudinally spaced barbshaving a length slightly greater than the thickness of said metalsupport such that one barb at least engages the planar portion of themetal sheet support and said planar portion of the metal sheet supportbeing disposed in said smooth surface portion, said barbs having aflexibility to retract toward said shank for forming an essentiallysmooth surface as said barbs penetrate through the planar wood memberand the planar portion of the metal sheet support, and said barbs havinga flexibility to expand outwardly from a retracted position fornon-retractable engagement with the planar portion of the metal sheetsupport to resist removal of the finish nail from the metal sheetsupport.
 2. The finish nail, planar finish member and metal sheetsupport combination defined in claim 1 wherein said shank has agenerally smooth and non-threaded surface adjacent the head.
 3. Thefinish nail, planar finish member and metal sheet support combinationdefined in claim 1 wherein the barbs have a slanted inner surface and aslanted outer surface joining to form a barb tip, wherein at least onebarb expands and the associated barb tip is in non-retractableengagement with the planar portion of the metal sheet support.
 4. Thefinish nail, planar finish member and metal sheet support combinationdefined in claim 1 wherein the barbs of the shank are linearly cut fromthe shank and the barbs have a flexibility to retract toward the shankfor forming a continuous and essentially smooth surface.
 5. The finishnail, planar finish member and metal sheet support combination definedin claim 1 wherein the planar finish member is a wood material.
 6. Thefinish nail, planar finish member and metal sheet support combinationdefined in claim 1 wherein the shank has at least two pair of barbs,each pair of barbs having a first barb radially opposite from a secondbarb.
 7. The finish nail, planar finish member and metal sheet supportcombination defined in claim 6 wherein each pair of barbs has a firstbarb radially staggered from a second barb.